Sam Loyd's Banana Puzzle - Solution

Puzzles -> Sam Loyd Puzzles

The Puzzle: How it is that when I buy yellow bananas at three shillings a bunch and the same number of red ones at four shillings a bunch I would get two more bunches for the same amount if I divided the money evenly between the yellow and red bananas?

.
.
.
.
(Scroll down if you really want
to see the Solution ...)
.
.
.
.
.
.

The Solution . . .

The amount of money was 336 shillings.

This would buy 48 bunches each of red and yellow, 96 in all, but 168 shillings would buy 56 bunches of yellow and the other 168 would buy 42 bunches of red, 98 in all.

The difference between three-sevenths and one-half which is one-fourteenth is an amount which would buy two more at three shillings than it would at four, which amount is twenty-four shillings.

Therefore, if one-fourteenth of the money is 24 shillings, the whole amount must be 336 shillings.

Discuss this puzzle at our Forum